PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Wednesday declined to grant interim relief to beach cleaning contractor Bhumika Cleantech Services Pvt Ltd who challenged the order of the Goa Lokayukta to stop further payment by 50% to the contractor. The Court has scheduled a final hearing on October 4. The Court also said that the investigation by the Lokayukta into the case will continue.
The Lokayukta that is probing the alleged multi-crore beach cleaning scam had on August 12 directed the Tourism Director that after proper scrutiny of the pending bills, half of the amount payable to the contractor be kept in a fixed deposit so that appropriate directions can be issued after completion of a detailed investigation.
The Lokayukta, while directing that notice be issued to Goa’s Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar seeking his comments on the complaints, had adjourned the matter to October 3. The government, after the Lokayukta’s order, served a month’s notice to the contractors terminating the beach cleaning contract.
In September 2014 the government had awarded the contract of comprehensive management of cleanliness of North Goa Beaches to Bhumika Cleantech Services Pvt Ltd at an annual cost of Rs 7.51 crore and cleaning of South Goa beaches to Ram Cleansers & Developers Pvt Ltd at a cost of Rs 7.04 crore. Both companies are owned by Manish Mohata. Earlier the cleaning of the beaches had cost the State an average of Rs 2 crore annually.
